Method of knitting



March so, 1943. w k SMITH, JR 2,315,138

METHOD 0 FIG. 3

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I .WPZMAML imp/{Jig y/ wg @Mflw Patented Mar. 30, 1943 METHOD OF KNITTING William L. Smith, Jr., Pawtucket, R. 1., assignor to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. 1., a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 7, 1942, Serial No. 429,851

3 Claims.

This application has for its subject matter an invention in knitted fabrics-andthe method of knitting wherein mock rib fabric of accordion type is produced having a pronounced ribbed appearance and in which the elasticity and extent to which the fabric may be stretched are comparable to these characteristics as exemplifled in so-called, true rib fabric.

In the figures of drawings:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a group of nee- ,dles and sinkers taking and drawing the accordion yam;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of the pathways followed by'needle hooks at so-called main and accordion yarn feeds;

Fig. 3 is a conventional illustration of a small section of fabric, greatly enlarged, showing more or less the theoretical stitch structure;

Fig. 4 is a conventional showing of a stocking having a top in accordance with the invention;

Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views of needle cylinders and wherein the relative size of cylinder appears;v

Fig. 7 is a section showing ribbed construction of the fabric;

Mock rib fabrics have been made for several years, one particular form thereof being known as accordion fabrics, the general method of knitting such a fabric and the construction thereof a being well-known, see United States Patent #1371459. As a mock rib fabric employed for a stocking top accordion stitch fabrics have been lacking in two particulars, one, the appearance of the rib has not been sufficiently outstanding, and two, the elasticity and extensibility of the fabric has been less than is commonly demanded in a top for a saleable stocking. According to the present invention ribbed appearance in an accordion fabric is realized which is very hard to distinguish from .true rib fabric and which remains ribbed or corrugated when extended and worn. Extensibility has been increased so that when finished down to more or less normal dimensions for commercial tops, the actual stretch laterally is such that the stocking may be put on without effort and will fit any size leg which might be accommodated by the true rib top. Upon actually stretching and releasing the fabric, its elasticity allows it to return practically to its original dimensions.

In the method of knitting this accordion type fabric a larger needle cylinder is employed, that is, the needle cylinder is of appreciably greater diameter when considering the Weight and type of fabric produced. In thi larger cylinder a number of needles are employed corresponding to the usual number of needles for such weight and type of fabric, but the needles are of heavier age and especially is that true-of the wire which goes to make up the hook part ofthe needle. sinkers operate along with these larger needles, said sinkers being relatively thin or of finer gage than the needles so that the fabric is knitted on a machine having a cylinder appreciably larger in diameter, with a number of needles substantially the same as that 'now employed for the weight and type of fabric knitted, heavier gaged needles and relatively fine gage or thin sinkers. In addition, needles are drawn down to a lesser'extent in their stitch measuring and drawing movement than would be theconventional needles employed and manipulated in the way now accepted as standard.

Now referring to Fig. 1, needles I are of the usual latch type, but are of larger gage than would ordinarily be employed for knitting any particular fabric in question. As fully disclosed" in applicants co-pending application Serial #426,984, needles are used'havlng a hook diameter of, for example, .022" rather than .016".

In other words, 24 gage needles are used to knit fabricfsuch as would normally be knitted by 48 gage needles. The hooks of these needles are preferably squeezed together as described in dles, sinkers employed are preferably of about .007" thickness so that we have a hookdiameter of .022 along with a sinker thickness of .OO'ZH This is merely given as onetypical example of a successful combination. These dimensions may be varied to some extent and with the hook diameter of .022 slightly thinner or slightly thicker sinkers may be used. Also, slightly larger needles may be employed, for instance, needlesthickness of the sinker is taken at the stitch drawing edge and the hook wire diameter to which reference is made is the cross-sectional diameter of the hook wire at that part'of the needle measuring or contacting the loop as it is being drawn.

In this Fig. 1 sinkers 2 have nibs 3, throats 4 and the usual sinker butts 5. .The isometric view shows knitting in the direction of the arrowand at theauxiliaryside of the machine or at that feed known as the accordion feed. A yarn feeding finger 6 moved to and from feeding position .by-any convenient means feedsan accordion yarn I and there is provided a selection for needles which" raise every other needle to take this accordionyarn while intermediate needles are not so raised. After the said yarn is taken in the hoolrs of every other or alternate needles, and

upondrawing needles downwardly as by a stitch cam, the said yarn is passed, behind intermediate needles. The accordion yarn is drawn over the sinker edges 8 which aremerely the lower edges of the sinker throats and as the relative movementor progressive stitch drawing continues," a

stitch may be measured and drawn by, each alternateneedle. Sinkers are pushed inwardly forv casting off and shed the old loop from the needles thus completing the accordion stitches which are of course drawn on every other needle leaving a long fioat' behind intermediate needles, these eventually appearing as floats at the back of the fabric. These floats mediate sinkers.

, I 0, Fig. 6, is a 4 cylinder which, according to the present invention, is'to be used in the production of fabric accordingto this case. The relative size of cylinder tobe used may be determined by ini creasing by 10% to the size cylinder now established as standard. a

The number of needles will still remain the I same so that a corresponding increase of 10 to 20% in, thedistance between adjacent needles is realized. This increase in the distance between needles, along with the heavier gage needles and thin sinkers'v allows production of a fabric in which needle wales are comprised of loops substantially larger than loops in sinker wales.

Now referring to Fig. 3, a small section of fabricis shown greatly enlarged. This illustration is' partiallyof "a theoretical nature and to I someextent, shows the real appearance. The relative size of the loops adheres fairly closely to 4 that oftheactual fabric, but the fabric has been extended laterally so. as to show up the sinker loops which otherwise would be considerably 'foreshortened andiin somecases, afterthe fabric has been finished, would extend almost perpendicular to the face of the fabric. The accordion yarn l'is preferably much smaller than the yarn- .l lfedat the so-called main or regular feed'of the machine. ,1 This contrast in size of yarns contributesv to a more pronounced'ribbed effect and also appears to render the fabric more elastic. The tension at the main side may be termed ordinary knittingltension; that at the auxiliary side is enough toforce the accordion yarn properly to interlace between needles. The fabric finishes down narrower yet allows maximum extension.

At the respective main and auxiliary feeds the stitch lengths are governed according to the size or weight of yarn so that naturally the length of stitch :drawn at .the main ,sideis appreciably longer than that at the auxiliary side at which the? relatively fine accordion yarn is fed. While the stitch lengths at the two sides are varied according to the particularyarns fed, it is to be understood that in the system herein described,

the .actualdistance to which a=needle hook is drawn below the'co'operating stitch-drawing edge of a sinker or other instrumentalities is approxiare drawn over two inter-,

2,315,138 .mately 50% of what that distance wouldbe by the now accepted conventional system of knitting in circular independent needle knitting machines. a

The wales l2, l3 and H are comprised of stitches from yarn l I only-while the intermediate wales l5 and I6 are made up loops alternately drawn from the accordion yarn I and then from the so-called main yarn II. The accordion yarn is drawn into rathertight and smaller stitches in the wales l5 and I6 and although all loops of the yarn I l are drawn at the main side of the machine, there is a certain readjustment or robbing of yarn during the knitting so that the loops ll of yarn II in these intermediate wales eventually appear smaller than adjacent loops of the same yarn in the wales l2, l3 and I 4. 7 By variation of tension in the yarn l and also by adjustment of stitch length, the relative prominence of the rib, the width of the fabric as it comes from the machine and the possibility of'finishing down or narrowing the fabric are controlled. Since the needles are relatively more widely spaced and are of much heavier gage in comparison to the teristics of large needle loops thickness of sinkers than is now the conventional practice, the needle wales will be comprised of loops which show up as of much greater size than the sinker loops,

The amount of each yarn 'I and II which is fed into the fabric is'carefully balanced so as to allow an elongation of the fabric in finishing and yet, will provide suflicient possibilities of stretch laterally, both these characteristics being essential in a commercial stocking top. The stocking top must finish down smaller than the width of the stocking leg and yet for commercial purposes, must have a lateral stretch which will allow it to be put on without effort and worn without discomfort. 'Before and in the finishing operation, there is a redistribution of yarn in the stitches to some extent, but the general characand smaller sinker loops are maintained. The increased size of the needle cylinder (comprising increase in size of needle circle) combined with the larger needles functioning as they do with narrow slnkers brings about or allows the construction of a fabric in which the floats l8 of the accordion yarn 1 are of greater length than such floats would be if knitted according :to the practice heretofore prevailing and of which United StatesPatent #1,3'77,459 is a fair example. This combination by which the fabric maybe finished down to desired width and-yet will still present possibilities of maximumlateral stretch'is in part, at least, a function of the increased length of the floats l8 re-v sulting from the use of the larger cylinder. The increased length of floats does not merely give a fabric in which possibilities of stretch are proportionally greater, but in combination with the other factors entering into the construction of the fabric and method of producing it, brings about a much finer ribbed appearance, markedly better= elasticity an'dlpossibilities of finishing down to a practical Width.

In Fig. 4 a top l9 according to the invention is shown on a conventional stocking having a leg 20 the rest of the stocking not being illustrated since it would, when finished; be similar in appearance to the usual circularly knit stocking. or half hose.

In Fig. '7 a section cut through the fabric illustrates how the raised ribs 2| extend out at the face of thefabric ,while the back portion 22'is.

more or less flat,- the latter" being characterized by intermediate wales l-I6 and the floats l8 behind the alternate wales l2, l8 and H.

Now referring to Fig. 2 a needle hook pathway appears in which the path 23 is that at which needle hooks approach the auxiliary feeding fingers 6 through one of which accordion yarn l is threaded. At a point just in advance of the finger 6 any suitable needle dividing or selecting means will raise the alternate needles to the pathway 24 while the intermediate needles continue along at the lever 23. After taking the yarn l the alternate needles are moved downwardly in a stitch drawing wave as by the usual stitch drawing cam and reach a lowermost point 25 at which point stitches will have been drawn and the previously drawn loops cast from the needles. That particular phase of the knitting is clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. Intermediate needles do not take the yarn 1 but are drawn down by the stitch cam (not shown) to the same level at 25.

. After passing this accordion yarn feed, the

needles are raised until stitches hang on the latches and approach a so-called main feed at which, by one of several yarn fingers 26, are fed the regular or main yarn ll. Just prior to reaching this point all needles rise up a front stitch cam to a latch clearing level 21, then move downwardly to the elevation 28 as they pass beneath the top center cam and thereafter are drawn down in a stitch forming wave bythe' are possible, for example, needles may be cleared at different points and, especially at the accordion feed, the intermediate needles may be maintained at a relatively low level so that the yarn 1 will be drawn into stitches and the sinkers pushed in so that their nibs engage the yarn and push it behind the intermediateneedles before those intermediate needles rise, that is,- befor interlacing is efiected.

Any selvage may be employed at the start of knitting or the fabric may be turned and sewed. Preferably some sort of selvage is to be used and for that purpose one of the yarns may be fed to alternate needles at the start and cast off in the first full course of either yarn to be knitted. Most naturally this will be accomplished by feeding the yarn I to alternate needles and casting the same off in the first course knitted at the main side. This is a simple or elemental type of selvage and other more complicated edge structures may be knitted, for example, an initial starting course may be followed by spaced tuck work or the like.

The invention may be practiced with any of the usual textile yarns, for example, with mercerized cotton, silk, wool, rayon, nylon or other.

synthetic filaments. Preferably the accordion a permanent set when finished.

The invention has been described by reference to one specific'embodiment of the same and it .is

to be understood that this is illustrative of the general principles to be applied and that certain'changes and variations may be resorted to without going beyond the scope of the appended claims in which the invention is defined.

I claim:

A method of knitting an accordion stocking top in a circular, independent needle knitting machine having needles and sinkers which function 'in a needle cylinder and a sinker head respectively, said needle cylinder and sinker head each being of a diameter 10% to 20% greater than that now accepted as standard for any particular weight of fabric in question, including the steps of measuring and drawing loops of a I sc -called main yarn and an accordion yarn at spaced feeding stations, drawing large needle loops and small-sinker loops by maintaining a ratio of from 2.8:1 to 4:1 between the diameter of needle, hooks at the stitch engaging portion thereof and the thickness of sinkers at that part of the sinker over whichloops are measured, thereby to permit the drawing of accordion yarn floats proportionately longer so as to impart to the fabric greater stretch and elasticity.

2. A method of knitting an accordion stocking top in a circular independent needle knitting machine having needles and sinkers spaced from Q 10% to 20% farther apart in a carrier than said needles and sinkers would normally be spaced for knitting any particular weight of fabric in question, including the steps of measuring and drawing loops'of a so-called main yarn and an accordion yam at separate feeding stations,

drawing latch needle loops and small sinker loops by maintaining a ratio of from 2.8:1 to 4:1 bee tween the diameter of wire in the needle hooks of the stitch'engaging portion thereof and the thickness of sinkers at that part of the sinker over which loops are measured, and maintaining a distinction between the main and accordion yarniwhereby the accordion yarn will be finer than the main yarn, drawing said accordion yarn into loops sufficiently long to allow considerable extension of the fabric as the same is elongated upon finishing, but drawing accordion yarn floats between the adjacent accordion stitches 10% to 20% longer according to the increased distance between needles.

3. In knitting an accordion fabric in a circular, independent needle knitting machine having needles and sinkers, that method which includes yarn is to be elastic in nature, and should take 

